Beauty and the Beast

Beauty and the Beast 

NARRATOR:     Once upon a time, in a faraway land, a young prince lived in a

              shining castle.  Although he had everything his heart desired,

              the prince was spoiled, selfish, and unkind.  But then, one

              winter's night, an old beggar woman came to the castle and

              offered him a single rose in return for shelter from the bitter

              cold. Repulsed by her haggard appearance, the prince sneered at

              the gift and turned the old woman away, but she warned him not

              to be deceived by appearances, for beauty is found within. 

              And when he dismissed her again, the old woman's ugliness

              melted away to reveal a beautiful enchantress.  The prince

              tried to apologize, but it was too late, for she had seen that

              there was no love in his heart, and as punishment, she

              transformed him into a hideous beast, and placed a

              powerful spell on the castle, and all who lived there.

              Ashamed of his monstrous form, the beast concealed himself

              inside his castle, with a magic mirror as his only window to

              the outside world.  The rose she had offered was truly an

              enchanted rose, which would bloom until his twenty-first

              year.  If he could learn to love another, and earn her love in

              return by the time the last petal fell, then the spell would

              be broken.  If not, he would be doomed to remain a beast for

              all time.  As the years passed, he fell into despair, and lost

              all hope, for who could ever learn to love a beast?

(We have seen a progression of stained glass windows illustrating the narration,

as well as BEAST shredding his portrait.  The camera slowly zooms out from the

castle and we see the title.  Fade up on the home of BELLE.  She exits the front

door and begins her walk into town.)

BELLE:        Little town, it's a quiet village

              Every day, like the one before

              Little town, full of little people

              Waking up to say...

TOWNSFOLK 1:  Bonjour!

TOWNSFOLK 2:  Bonjour!

TOWNSFOLK 3:  Bonjour!

TOWNSFOLK 4:  Bonjour!

TOWNSFOLK 5:  Bonjour!

BELLE:        There goes the baker with his tray like always

              The same old bread and rolls to sell

              Every morning just the same

              Since the morning that we came

              To this poor provincial town...

BAKER:        Good morning, Belle!

(BELLE jumps over to the bakery)

BELLE:        Morning monsieur!

BAKER:        Where are you off to?

BELLE:        The bookshop! I just finished the most wonderful story, about

              a beanstalk and an ogre and...

BAKER:        (Ignoring her) That's nice...Marie, the baguettes! Hurry up!!

TOWNSFOLK:    Look there she goes, that girl is strange no question

              Dazed and distracted, can't you tell?

WOMAN 1:      Never part of any crowd

BARBER:       Cause her head's up on some cloud

TOWNSFOLK:    No denying she's a funny girl, that Belle!

(BELLE jumps on the back of a wagon and rides through town)

DRIVER:       Bonjour!

WOMAN 2:      Good day!

DRIVER:       How is your family?

WOMAN 3:      Bonjour!

MERCHANT:     Good day!

WOMAN 3:      How is your wife?

WOMAN 4:      I need six eggs!

MAN 1:        That's too expensive!

BELLE:        There must be more than this provincial life!

(BELLE enters the bookshop)

BOOKSELLER:   Ah, Belle!

BELLE:        Good morning.  I've come to return the book I borrowed.

BOOKSELLER:   (Putting the book back on the shelf) Finished already?

BELLE:        Oh, I couldn't put it down!  Have you got anything new?

BOOKSELLER:   (laughing) Not since yesterday.

BELLE:        (on ladder of bookshelf) That's all right.  I'll borrow...

              this one.

BOOKSELLER:   That one?  But you've read it twice!

BELLE:        Well it's my favorite!  (BELLE swings off side of ladder,

              rolling down it's track) Far off places, daring

              swordfights, magic spells,  a prince in disguise!

BOOKSELLER:   (handing her the book)  Well, if you like it all that much,

              it's yours!

BELLE:        But sir!

BOOKSELLER:   I insist!

BELLE:        Well thank you.  Thank you very much! (leaves bookshop)

MEN:          (looking in window, then turning to watch her)

              Look there she goes

              That girl is so peculiar!

              I wonder if she's feeling well!

WOMEN:        With a dreamy far-off look!

MEN:          And her nose stuck in a book!

ALL           What a puzzle to the rest of us is Belle!

(BELLE sits on the edge of a fountain, singing to the sheep and the washing

woman in the background, who leaves)

BELLE:        Oh! Isn't this amazing!

              It's my favorite part because, you'll see!

              Here's where she meets Prince Charming

              But she won't discover that it's him 'til chapter three!

WOMAN 5:      Now it's no wonder that her name means 'beauty'

              Her looks have got no parallel!

MERCHANT:     But behind that fair facade

              I'm afraid she's rather odd

              Very different from the rest of us...

ALL:          She's nothing like the rest of us

              Yes different from the rest of us is Belle

(GEESE flying overhead, one is shot and plummets to the ground.  LEFOU runs

over, holds out the bag, and misses catching the prize.  He returns to GASTON)

LEFOU:        Wow! You didn't miss a shot, Gaston!  You're the

              greatest hunter in the whole world!

GASTON:       I know!

LEFOU:        Huh.  No beast alive stands a chance against

              you...and no girl for that matter!

GASTON:       It's true, Lefou, and I've got my sights set on that

              one! (pointing to BELLE)

LEFOU:        The inventor's daughter?

GASTON:       She's the one!  The lucky girl I'm going to marry.

LEFOU:        But she's--

GASTON:       The most beautiful girl in town.

LEFOU:        I know--

GASTON:       And that makes her the best.  And don't I deserve the best?

LEFOU:        Well of course, I mean you do, but I mean...

GASTON:       Right from the moment when I met her, saw her

              I said she's gorgeous and I fell

              Here in town there's only she (BELLE walks by and away)

              Who is beautiful as me

              So I'm making plans to woo and marry Belle

BIMBETTES:    Look there he goes, isn't he dreamy

              Monsieur Gaston, oh he's so cute

              Be still my heart, I'm hardly breathing

              He's such a tall, dark, strong and handsome brute

(BELLE walks easily through the crowd of people in the town, GASTON struggles to

catch up to her)

MAN 1:        Bonjour!

GASTON:       Pardon!

MAN 2:        Good day!

MAN 3:        Mais oui!